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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · row · face · firm · race · perch · prune · hand

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to point toward
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — help
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — the arms race
  19. row — a line
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. firm — a company
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com